Bal d'Afrique Byredo 2009 Eau de Parfum

The first time I tried Byredo's Bal d'Afrique a few years ago I thought "meh … just another EDC parading around as an EDP". Then a fascination with Neroli began and I had the opportunity of smelling it on a friend … and found it lovely!

Truthfully, this is a very expensive fragrance for what it is … in fact, the entire line is overpriced imho, but I suppose it all comes down to what one is willing to pay for. I was lucky enough to secure a 'once sprayed' bottle from a friend who was spring cleaning her collection at a very decent price. Replacing it once it is gone will be a bit of an issue :).

I was completely amazed to find that this fragrance contains buchu, which as a South African I know very well in the form of the vile concoction 'Boegoe Brandy', a sort of snake-oil-cure-all remedy used in this country for centuries. I suppose it tastes a bit like Jaegermeister … but a lot rougher. The plant smells vaguely minty and camphorous with a fresh, berry-like note. It's not indigenous to where I live in the North East occurring primarily in the West of the country, but I have had occasion to smell it in it's natural state … once I made the connection it became quite obvious that Bal d'Afrique contains a good dose! It's quite unique smelling, but this fragrance also contains a sweetened Vetiver, which I love!
Neroli essential oil is VERY strong, but it is well controlled here in concert with the other top notes. I do get quite a lot of Violet from this frag bringing a soft sweetness along with it. I'm of the mind that this is what might be taming the Vetiver and keeping it from being overly root-like.

My biggest issue with Byredo is the cost proportional to concentration. This is marketed as an EDP, but it must be at the very bottom end of the oil-to alcohol ratio, because even if the sillage here is satisfactory, longevity is an issue and overspraying to correct that proves costly. I've had quite a bit of success spraying my clothes, however, so that's one way of increasing the lifespan of Bal d'Afrique.

I recommend this fragrance to anyone who enjoys a different take on the classic EDC. Bal d'Afrique is interesting and unique … quite a joy to wear!

A note about cost:

100mls of Bal d'Afrique costs $220 from the website. I love the simplicity of the bottle, but I guess a substantial part of the price resides in the exquisite, but imho, unnecessary packaging. An outer sleeve plus an inner box with a cut out space for the bottle AND a card with the marketing blurb are irrelevant. I'd buy loads of this if it came less expensively packaged. I feel the same way about byKillian. Strangely enough, fancy packaging always makes me wonder what the product is lacking … food for thought!

Bald Freak she is not, as this is the scent of the most luscious hair I can imagine. Most people seem to brand BdA a citrus, but to my nose she smells like an artisanal shampoo made of marigold blossoms. Bright, zesty, complex, with a “cosmetic-y” core. Like the scent of a celebrity after being gussied by an elite beauty team. However, I feel like she could complement wearers of any age, in any season. Astute reviewer @heliotrope72 said it smelled like “a type-A person on vacation,” and yup, I see it. I've never smelled anything else quite like BdA. She will probably be the next Byredo I buy a full bottle of because I'm on my fifth tester vial. Lifespan is, alas, mid. The things we do for the beautiful…

Mental Snapshot: The morning starts with a neroli oil deep tissue massage, followed by a cocoa butter Lomi Lomi. Every cuticle is caressed, every hair coaxed into skeins of silk. As you recline in your chair, you’re primped, powdered, spritzed, styled, and maybe even titivated. You’ve never been Photoshopped once in press. Not when you look this good.

tl;dr: A-list salon

In a brand full of crowd-pleasing fragrances, Bal D'Afrique is probably the most crowd-pleasing-est of them all. People love this fragrance.

And damn it, I love this fragrance too. It's kind of hard not to. I like to think of it as a sparkly, sunlit version of Vetiver Tonka, made all giggly with forest fruit, violets, and lemon. It is one of those perfumes that seems to be all things to all people. Some describe it as musky, cedary violets, some as a creamy lemon scent, and some as a fruity, nutty vetiver. And truth be told, it's all of those things, and more.

Nothing about Bal D'Afrique stands out and that feels like a deliberate decision. Nudged more firmly in one direction or another, it could easily have been pegged as a vetiver fragrance, a woody violet, a fruity floral, even a foodie amber. But Bal D'Afrique contains a touch of everything and doesn't press down too hard on one particular note, so it ends up playing like a low-key medley of tunes you hear in a cocktail lounge - wonderfully pleasing but sparkling at a low enough wattage so as not to distract from conversation.

Unless I find something better on my perfume journey, this will be my signature scent. I love it the most among the other perfumes in my collection and wish list. It is very unique, recognizable, well-blended, and non-offensive scent. I can’t complain about the longevity and sillage; it lasts quite a while on my skin. It is expensive, but considering the quality, I think it's worth it.

Another perfume from this house that I find to be a complete rip-off. It has nothing interesting about it, a fresh, citrusy floral scent like any generic, easy-to-use cologne, but subtle, very subtle indeed. So subtle, in fact, that it practically disappears from my skin in a matter of minutes, even if you press your nose against it. MINUTES, 15-20... a performance easily surpassed by any supermarket 5€/100ml cologne.

What absolutely astounds me is to see here a "9" in longevity! OMFG

I've had six other people smell it from my hand, and they can barely smell anything even when they press their noses against it, in less than an hour.

And just in case it's my skin specifically that devours this perfume (coincidence?), we've tested it on other men and women, with the same result.

Perhaps the sample they gave me is of very low quality? Well, if that's the case, it does a disservice in promoting its purchase.

And lastly, and very importantly, especially with this performance: what is truly obscene about the matter is the price it has for what it is.